The Vietnamese national team can't dream of anything too big.

Despite narrowly defeating weaker opponent Nepal in both matches of the final qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup, both played at home, the Vietnamese national team disappointed their fans.

The Vietnamese national team in their hard-fought victory against Nepal at Thong Nhat Stadium - Photo: NK

Many fans in stand C of Thong Nhat Stadium on the evening of October 14th chanted demands for the Vietnamese players to play faster in the second half of the return match against Nepal (an opponent ranked 62 places lower than them in the FIFA rankings) after witnessing the team's lifeless performance.

Disappointed with the Vietnamese national team.

The Vietnamese team did what was necessary by winning both matches against Nepal to keep pace with group leaders Malaysia in the race for the single qualifying spot in Group F for the finals. However, looking at the performance, it was all disappointment. Especially the second leg at Thong Nhat Stadium, where Vietnam could only win 1-0 thanks to an own goal by a Nepalese player.

The slippery pitch at Thong Nhat Stadium, due to heavy rain, significantly affected the Vietnamese team's performance, as coach Kim Sang Sik and striker Tien Linh admitted after the match. However, that wasn't the main reason for the players' poor performance. In the rainless first leg at Go Dau Stadium, Vietnam still struggled to beat Nepal 3-1, thanks to their opponent receiving a red card at the end of the first half when the score was 1-1.

"The match narrowed the 60-place gap between the two teams," the commentator exclaimed on live television. But that doesn't fully convey the disappointment of both experts and fans.

Listen to coach Matt Ross share: "Except for more than 10 players currently playing abroad, the recent training sessions in Vietnam were the only time we got to train on natural grass. My players haven't played in a long time, and they've only been training on a 20-year-old artificial turf pitch that's as hard as concrete. After each training session, they suffer from back pain, muscle soreness... so I couldn't let them train much. In Nepal, the national league only lasts 3 months and then has a 9-month break. They don't have the concept of training 5 days a week and playing matches every weekend."

Coach Kim Sang Sik is not yet satisfied with the Vietnamese national team - Photo: TTO

What is there to dream of when you go to the World Cup?

Having narrowly defeated Nepal in both matches, if things don't change, beating Malaysia (without the 7 naturalized players currently under FIFA disciplinary action) in the return match at home next March will not be easy for the Vietnamese national team.

Many key players of the Vietnamese national team have gradually passed their peak and lack the desire to compete. The U23 players, on the other hand, are not being used by coach Kim Sang Sik. Specifically, after two matches against Nepal, only 5 out of 8 U23 players were used. Nhat Minh, Phi Hoang, and Xuan Bac did not play a single minute, even though the Vietnamese team struggled to break through.

In fact, the quality of Vietnamese players isn't that bad. The main reason is the overly simplistic playing style that coach Kim Sang Sik is applying to both the U23 and senior national teams. The ball is mainly played from the flanks for the strikers to finish – a style of play that Vietnamese clubs often used in the early years of professional football to take advantage of the superiority of foreign players to score goals.

Nguyen Xuan Son's consecutive goals in the 2024 ASEAN Cup is a prime example of this style of play. And when the Brazilian-born striker was absent due to injury, the Vietnamese team immediately struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Unable to score from the flanks, Vietnam switched to playing through the center. However, group combinations near the goal often lacked creativity and frequently resulted in losing possession after only 3-4 touches.

In a deadlock situation, Kim's ability to turn the tide was not highly regarded by experts at Thong Nhat Stadium, as his substitutions in the second half were not as effective as in the first.

"I think the substitutions in the second half were not good. The attacking play was very disjointed because the forwards lacked harmony, as they had almost never played together before. When playing together in attack, players need to understand each other and create synergy. In the first half, the Vietnamese team controlled the game well, but in the second half they played below par. The Vietnamese team lost control of the game and were no longer in control," expert Phan Anh Tú frankly stated.

Under coach Park Hang Seo, the Vietnamese national team, although playing a defensive counter-attacking style similar to coach Kim Sang Sik, still employed fluid passing and dangerous play. Currently, however, they struggle even against weaker opponents at home; what hope does the Vietnamese team have of qualifying for the World Cup? Achieving short-term success in Southeast Asia is probably more achievable for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team than dreaming of anything more ambitious.

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NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-kho-mo-xa-20251016091548145.htm